THE acquisition of three Monomotapa players by TP Mazembe during their campaign in the African Champions League last year could be one of the shadowy deals involving the Crocodiles amid reports that Mazembe team offered another Zimbabwean campaigner Dynamos a US$400 000 “financial aid”.

The aid, which borders on throwing away matches, has already split the Dynamos family.
It has emerged that the same trick was used on Monomotapa during their campaign in Group B of the Champions League last year. The deal was however veiled in the acquisition of the three players — Daniel Zokoto, Mthulisi Maphosa and Chris Samakweri — which saw Monomotapa pocketing thousands of dollars.

Monomotapa chairman Joseph Mukoki however denied these allegations.
“I wasn’t the chairman at time and the two people who were in charge were Bhekithemba ‘Far’ Ndlovu (treasurer) and David Makombe (secretary),” Mukoki said.

“Though I was not in the picture that time I have every reason to believe that those signings were done above board.
“The club owner Mr (Solomon) Mugavazi is the best person to speak to, but he is in South Africa at the moment.”

Ndlovu and Makombe were ousted from the club after it was alleged they pocketed proceeds from their home match against Dynamos on May 30 this year.

They claimed the club owed them their share of proceeds from the sale of Zokoto, Maphosa and Samakweri.
Diego Garzitto, the TP Mazembe coach said in two separate interviews with Standardsport that he did not know where the three players — Zokoto, Maphosa and Samakweri — came from as they just popped up at his training camp.

The three players have also surprisingly been missing from the TP Mazembe’s set-up.
“That is a big no. There is no truth in that (the acquisition of Zokoto, Maphosa and Samakweri) because we have not talked to any club or entered any contract negotiations with any Zimbabwean players,” Garzitto told the Standardsport edition published on October 30 2009.

Zokoto, Maphosa and Samakweri made what was supposed to be their dream move to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But in essence they were just used as pawns in a game that is woven with large sums of money in the form of kickbacks.

Later in November last year, the Crocodiles then approached Monomotapa for the services of forward Darryl Nyandoro.
Garzitto did not waste time and swooped on the 22-year-old after he had made an impact with Monomotapa in the Champions League.
It is now clear that Nyandoro was the only player on Garzitto’s radar while the transfer of the other three players was just a façade.
Zokoto, Samakweri and Maphosa football careers have been stagnant since their move.

Nyandoro travelled to Harare with the Crocodiles for the match against Dynamos while Maphosa, Samakweri and Zokoto were nowhere to be seen.
The trio’s careers are now stuck in limbo because they are seeing very limited game time under Garzitto who has indicated that they are not in his plans.

Recent reports alleged that TP Mazembe officials tried to entice Dynamos into accepting an aid package that would help ease the Harare giants’ cash flow problems.

Very soon it would not come as a surprise if a bunch of Dynamos players are sold to the DRC club.
The question that should be asked if this occurs is whether these transfers would be genuine or is it just another cover-up attempt?
Either way in the end it is the players involved that will suffer like what is happening to Maphosa, Samakweri and Zokoto while the club administrators pocket the loot.

Dynamos are caught in the same web in which they can pocket US$400 000 “to make them strong” and beat Tunisia’s Esperance, and Algeria’s Entente Setief.

However this is a bid by the defending champions TP Mazembe to ensure they remain Group A leaders and progress to the semi-finals.
The million-dollar question is: “Will they beat TP Mazembe in the reverse fixture?”

Dynamos have already lost the first leg 2-0.

It seems TP Mazembe want to retain the African Champions League title at any cost.

Monomotapa who represented Zimbabwe in the Champions League were knocked out in the group stages. Monoz lost 5-0 to TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi before losing 2-0 in the reverse fixture in the capital.

BY NIGEL MATONGORERE

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